PROGRAMME OF NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION
(AS DRAFTED OUT BY THE LATE DR. SUN).
1. The National Government's programme for the reconstruction of China is based on the revolutionary principles known as the "San Min Chu I"and the "Five-power Constitution.''
2. The first and foremost element of reconstruction is livelihood. In order to meet the pressing needs of the people for food, clothing, shelter, and roads, the government should co-operate with ' the people to improve agriculture in order to provide them with sufficient food, to develop the cotton industry in order that they may have abundant material for clothing, to build houses on a large scale in order that they may procure comfortable shelter, and to construct new roads and canals and repair the existing systems so as to facilitate traffic.
3. The next element of reconstruction is democracy. To enable the people to be competent in their knowledge of politics, the government should undertake to train and guide them so that they may know how to exercise their rights of election, recall, initiative, and referendum.
4. The third element of reconstruction is nationalism. The government should undertake to render assistance and, protection to the racial minorities in the country (Manchus, Mongols, Tibetans, etc.) so that they may be able to exercise their right of self-determination and self-government, while resisting oppression and invasion from foreign countries. The government should, at the same time, revise the treaties with foreign countries in order to secure national independence and international equality.
5. The order of reconstruction is divided into three periods, viz : (a) Period of Miliary Operation(軍政時期) ; (b) Period of Political Tutelage(訓政時期); (c) Period of Constitutional Government(憲政時期).
6. During the period of military occupation the entire country should be subject to military rule. To hasten the unification of the country, the Government should employ military force to conquer all opposition in the country and propagate the principles of the Party so that the people may be enlightened.
7. The period of political tutelage in a province should begin and military rule should cease as soon as order within the province is completely restored.
8. During the period of political tutelage the government should despatch trained officers who have passed the examinations to the different districts to assist the people in making preparations for local self-government. The attainment of local self-government depends on the completion of the census, the survey of the district, the organisation of an efficient police force, and the construction of roads throughout the district. Moreover, the people of the district must be able to fulfill their duties as citizens by exercising the four rights mentioned above, and must pledge themselves to carry out the principles of the revolution, before they are entitled to elect the officer of a "hsien"(縣) for the administration of its affairs and representatives of the "hsien"(省) for the formulation of its laws. By that time, the "hsien" will then be considered as fully self-governing.
9. The citizens of a fully self-governing "hsien" have the right of direct voting for the election of officers, the right of direct recall, the right of direct initiative, and the right of direct referendum.
10. At the beginning of self-government it is imperative that a declaration be made of the value of private-owned land of the district, the procedure being to require the owners to make their own declaration at the local administration so that the tax will be imposed according to the declared value, but the local government is entitled at any time to purchase the property at the declared value. Any increase in value ' as a result of improvement in the administration and progress of the community shall be set aside for the benefit of the whole community, and the original owners are not allowed to reserve it for themselves.
11. The annual revenue from land, the increase in land value, the production from public land, the income from forestry, rivers, mines, and waterfalls shall be reserved for the local government and shall be devoted to the development, of industries, the taking care of the young, aged and poor, the relief of public calamities, the care of the sick, and other public needs.
12. If a district does not possess sufficient capital to develop its natural resources or industries and commerce on a large scale and must seek the aid of outside capital, the Central Government should give the necessary financial assistance and the profits accruing therefrom shall be equally divided between the Central and the Local governments.
13. The contribution of the districts toward the expenditure of the Central Government shall be a certain percentage on their revenue. The percentage shall be fixed annually by the People's Representatives(國民代表), and shall not exceed 50 per cent., nor be less than 10 percent, of the total receipts.
14. After self government has been established, the people in each district shall be entitled to elect a representative for the formation of an assembly to participate in the political affairs of the nation.
15. All officials, to be elected or appointed locally or by the Central Government shall be required to pass an examination to be held by the Central Government before they are qualified for their positions.
16. As soon as all the districts within a province are fully self-governing, constitutional government in that province shall begin and the assembly of the People's Representatives may elect a provincial chief officer to supervise the administration of the self-government of the province. As regards the national affairs of the province, the provincial chief officer shall be subject to the guidance of the Central Government.
17. During the period of constitutional government, the powers of the Central Government and those of the provinces shall be evenly distributed. Affairs of a national character shall be reserved for the Central Government and those of a local character shall be reserved for the districts. The system is neither a centralization nor a decentralization.
18. The "hsien" is the unit of self-government. The province links up and provides means of co-operation between the Central Government and the Local Governments of the districts.
19. At the beginning of constitutional government, the Central Government should complete the establishment of five "yuans" for the exercise of the five-powers, the order being as follows : (1) Executive Yuan, (2) Legislative Yuan, (3) Judicial Yuan, (4) Examination Yuan and (5) Control Yuan.
20. The Executive Yuan shall at the outset consist of the following ministries : (1) Ministry of the Interior, (2) Ministry of Foreign affairs, (3) Ministry of Military Affairs, (4) Ministry of Finance, (5) Ministry of Agriculture and Mines, (6) Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Labour, (7) Ministry of Education, and (8) Ministry of Communications.
21. Before the promulgation of the constitution, the presidents of all the "yuans" shall be appointed or dismissed by the President, who shall supervise them.
22. The draft constitution shall be based on the Programme of National Reconstruction as well as the experiences gained during the periods of Political Tutelage and Constitutional Government, and shall be drawn up by the Legislative Yuan through which it shall be made known to the people in order that when the time arrives it will be deliberated and adopted.
23. When more than half of the provinces in the country have reached the Constitutional Government stage, i.e. more than half of the provinces have local self governments fully established in all the districts there shall be a National Congress to decide on the adoption and promulgation of the Constitution.
24. As soon as the constitution is promulgated, the administration of the Central Government shall be vested in the National Congress. In other words, the National Congress(國民大會) has the power to elect and recall officials of the Central Government and to initiate laws and veto laws promulgated by the Central Government.
25. On the day of the promulgation of the Constitution, constitutional government shall be considered as having been fully established and the people throughout the country shall hold a national election according to the constitution. Three months after the election, the National Government shall resign and hand over its functions to a government elected by the people, and the programme of national reconstruction will thus be accomplished.
(Signed) SUN WEN.
12th day of 4th month of 13th year of the Republic.
